Personally, I blame the coaching staff for this win

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm just glad the players were able to ignore the coaches and do it all themselves.














Oh, by the way, I didn't expect to win this either but I did say if we shot just 42% (I'm not asking 50%) then we will win many games because of our defense.  Unfortunately, we didn't even shoot 40% again.  If this team can get to about 42% a game in conference play, they will be ok.  I don't think that is asking the world.

Nice job by the players AND coaches tonight.

[maxpower773]

Just think of how much we could have won by if we shot 42% or so. If we made some more shots in the first half, those 12 turnovers could have put UCONN way down rather than just 3 or so points.  But its nice to see that we could work through another rough shooting night and use our defense and rebounding to win a game.

[Final Four or Bust]

We could have, probably should have, won by 40 tonight the way UConn played.  Still we missed FTs throughout and the shooting from the outside was horrible.  We won the game, but I am not convinced our problems have been addressed.

[NYWarrior]

We could have, probably should have, won by 40 tonight the way UConn played.  Still we missed FTs throughout and the shooting from the outside was horrible.  We won the game, but I am not convinced our problems have been addressed.

glad you enjoyed this clutch road win.

wow

[MUHoopsfan6]

Great effort by all to get this win.  I really enjoyed McNeal and Barro they played very well, Matherws looked pretty good to.  Burke seems to be improving every game, from last to right now he has made tremendous strides.  Looks to me that although DJ hasn't exactly found his shot yet he starting play more within himself and the flow of the game, the more he does that the way better of we would be as a team.  If DJ had controlled himself a bit more in the second half we might have gotten pretty close to your 42%

[NavinRJohnson]

A great win last night and a total team effort to be sure. I do love a game where the refs let 'em play. I guess the only thing that disappoints me about the team in general, is that to me there was a noticeable difference in effort or intensity last night over the previous couple games. Maybe I'm crazy, but I saw a different team out there aganst Uconn then I did against Syracuse. That is 100% on the players and perhaps is is still a bit of youth, but I suppose its natural to be more focused/interested when things are going your way as opposed to when you are struggling. That clearly manifested itself in DJ especially. Credit to him for making up his mind to do things to help the team that had been absent for the past couple weeks, independent of scoring. Of course it didn't hurt to play against a team that played exclusively man to man and was all to willing to run up and down the court with us. Big mistake.

Hopefully, lesson learned. If MU consistently brings that same level of effort and intensity, especially on defense and on the back boards, zone or no zone, we'll win some games.

[NYWarrior]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I saw a different team out there aganst Uconn then I did against Syracuse.

Agreed ...... and I think MU benefitted from having a full complement of healthy players to practice for the first time in a while after the Cuse game too.  Hopefully last night's gut check victory righted the ship and we'll see the same intensity from here on out

[ChicosBailBonds]

We could have, probably should have, won by 40 tonight the way UConn played.  Still we missed FTs throughout and the shooting from the outside was horrible.  We won the game, but I am not convinced our problems have been addressed.

We are a flawed team, there is no question about it.  We have trouble scoring.  Same thing Coach K said about his Blue Devils last night.  However, what I was thrilled to see last night was the hustle, the rebounding, DJ actually playing setup man (yes, he still took too many shots for my taste, but he was aggressive to the hoop).

If the shots fall at even a "respectable" pace, this team will be ok.

And the prospects for next year are incredible in my opinion.  We often lose site of the fact that there are no seniors starting and only one junior starting.

[NYWarrior]

is that really your license plate btw?

[ChicosBailBonds]

is that really your license plate btw?

The People's Republic of California would NEVER allow such a horribly offensive name in today's day and age if it were still available.  It would never fly anymore (besides, it's already taken so it's grandfathered but the edict now is anything that is "offensive" is not allowed subject to approval.  Of course who determines "offensive" is always the grand old question).

There was a story recently where MILF was denied.  That made me crack up. 

No vanity plates for me.  I did have MARQET when I lived in OHIO and it made the MU gift store catalog one year.   

[mu_hilltopper]

<cough>



<cough>

[NavinRJohnson]

I don't have a cool picture, but close your eyes and imagine a WI plate that reads as follows...

GO MARQT

<cough>

Although that whole MILF thing is intriguing. Nah, probably wouldn't be right for me.

[RawdogDX]

Yeah you'd probably want more of a: MLF HNTR

[NavinRJohnson]

How 'bout DILF? Better check wth my wife to see if that one has any merit.

The fact that the term doesn't really even exist says an awful lot about the difference between men and women though. Not sure what exactly, but it definitely says something.

[MU71]

A great win last night and a total team effort to be sure. I do love a game where the refs let 'em play. I guess the only thing that disappoints me about the team in general, is that to me there was a noticeable difference in effort or intensity last night over the previous couple games. Maybe I'm crazy, but I saw a different team out there aganst Uconn then I did against Syracuse. That is 100% on the players and perhaps is is still a bit of youth, but I suppose its natural to be more focused/interested when things are going your way as opposed to when you are struggling. That clearly manifested itself in DJ especially. Credit to him for making up his mind to do things to help the team that had been absent for the past couple weeks, independent of scoring. Of course it didn't hurt to play against a team that played exclusively man to man and was all to willing to run up and down the court with us. Big mistake.

Hopefully, lesson learned. If MU consistently brings that same level of effort and intensity, especially on defense and on the back boards, zone or no zone, we'll win some games.

The difference you saw in the team was the fact that UConn for inexplicable reasons chose to play man-to-man against us.  We had plenty of intensity against Syracuse, just zones make it look like you don't.  It was a temendous road win but a lot of our same problems showed (turnovers, shooting, FT shootiing) and we simply have to work through them.  On the positive side, we certainly played better defensively inside and rebounded well.  Offensively, we were able to penetrate, which comes with a man-to-man defense, and as a result get som nice feeds to our bifg men. Huge test Saturday against the WV 1-3-1 zone. 

[NavinRJohnson]

The difference you saw in the team was the fact that UConn for inexplicable reasons chose to play man-to-man against us. 

I can explain it rather easily. UConn doesn't play zone. Pressure man to man is Calhoun's thing. Been pretty succesful for him too.

Also, I disagree on the intensity, particularly on the part of James, but really the entire team. It goes far beyond the type of defense. He was for more interested against UConn than he was against Syracuse.

Apparently Coach Crean agrees with me...

Crean said Tuesday. "It's got more to do with our lack of attacking and our shot selection and the turnovers more than it has maybe with what kind of defenses we're seeing. I don't think we can get caught up in if we're seeing zone, if we're seeing man-to-man as much as we just have to play with what got us to the 13 wins."

[MU71]

Well, we'll see on Saturday.  If we don't look intense again and our shot selection gets bad then we'll debate.  If we look good and seem to have turned the corner, I'll stand corrected.  But as of now, I see a huge relationship between the type of defense we're playing against and our ability to attack off the dribble (which is what we like to do) as well as the types of shots that are available to us.  As for turnovers...we had 22 against UConn - is Crean saying that's a low number?  As for Calhoun, add him to Knight and Coach K - 3 hall of famers, 3 brilliant coaches, 3 teams who only play man-to-man, 3 teams that Marquette beat - coincidence? 

[NavinRJohnson]

But as of now, I see a huge relationship between the type of defense we're playing against and our ability to attack off the dribble (which is what we like to do) as well as the types of shots that are available to us. 

I don't necessarily disagree with that, but I see it is more of a mental problem, then an ability problem. Whether the type of defense they are facing is to blame or not, I'm not sure (Crean doesn't seem to think so). If they take that agressive/attack mentality into every game, zone or no zone, we'll be succesful.

[MU71]

Crean can't admit that they have trouble with zones or the players will believe it and get even worse against them - so from that respect it is mental.  The physical aspect is simply what the team is more adapt at doing.  They are extremely quick and good at going to the basket.  Those are skills much better suited to playing adainst a man-to-man.  They are not very good shooters which is the best skill to break down a zone.  They can learn to break down a zone in other ways but it is much more difficult than if they had good shooters or a good big man to hit high and work off of.  It seems Tom has decided that the best way for THIS team to break down a zone is to partially penetrate off the dribble and pass.  This might be best for this team but it is very difficult.  Small guards penetrating into the heart of a zone and trying to pass or get off a shot is tough.  (And I do agree that an attacking mentality is great and if we don't have it we're toast.  I just happen to think that even with it the skills of this team will have tons of trouble with zones.)

[NavinRJohnson]

Well, we'll see on Saturday.  If we don't look intense again and our shot selection gets bad then we'll debate.  If we look good and seem to have turned the corner, I'll stand corrected.  But as of now, I see a huge relationship between the type of defense we're playing against and our ability to attack off the dribble (which is what we like to do) as well as the types of shots that are available to us. 

<cough> <ahem>

[MU71]

Don't worry - I admit if it I seem to be wrong, no need to choke yourself coughing and aheming.  It looks like we have turned the corner.   We had a fantsatic game and if we keep it up we'll do just fine.  (I still have a few concerns against a tight 2-3 but I'll hold them.  We certainly attacked the 1-3-1 well, got inside and made nice passes off the dribble penetration.  Great job.)  I also feel we'll look good on Monday - I think Pitino is pretty much of a pressure man-to-man guy.  I won't predict a win (too tough to expect it at Louisville) but we should look good.

[The Lens]

We're catching 4.5...I like that play.